Wicked Pleasure (33 page)

“Sounds like fun.” She glanced at her watch.

Brynn was starting to hate watches and all other symbols of passing time. “Then let's do it.” He walked across the lobby to the bookstore with her.

Donna was broadcasting from in front of the store. There were several rows of chairs for anyone who wanted to watch her. Brynn and Kim sat in the back row next to Eric. The rest of the chairs were pretty much taken. Donna waved at them.

Eric grinned at Kim. “Enjoy your fantasy?”

“It was right up there with making love on a cloud.” She flushed. “Jeez, I must look like Deimos.”

Satisfied, Eric settled back to watch his wife. “I don't get a chance to catch her broadcasts often. She usually works on weekends while I'm busy with the castle fantasies.”

Donna had finished her opening monologue and was taking calls until it was time for the night's guest. The wide range of callers fascinated Brynn. Everyone from a man interested in remote viewing to a woman obsessed with secret societies.

Kim leaned into him. “I don't usually stay up late enough to hear this program, but I might treat myself once in a while. Donna's great.” She paused to listen to the next caller.

“I am the One Whose Name Cannot Be Uttered.” The voice was a low rumble of evil.

Donna's eyes widened, and Brynn felt Kim tense beside him. Ken, Donna's show producer, signaled to her. Probably suggesting they cut this sucker off the air. Donna shook her head.

Brynn glanced at Eric, who'd gone completely still. Time to put out a mental call to Holgarth and Conall.

Donna looked strained but calm. “I respect that you want to remain anonymous. So what
can
you tell us about yourself?”

“I wield unspeakable power and rule an army of evil from where I dwell in the black center of chaos.” The owner of the deep voice seemed to savor each word.

The bastard was enjoying himself. Ken was growing frantic. Probably didn't have a clue why Donna would keep this crazy on the line. Brynn hoped she'd keep him talking a little longer.

“Interesting. Doesn't sound like a fun place, though. Uh, would this black center of chaos be a fancy name for hell?”

Brynn could feel the audience's unease growing. He didn't blame them. This was a seriously creepy call. Kim continued to lean into him, and even with his growing tension he could still appreciate the warmth of her body close to his.

“If naming it hell makes you more comfortable, please do so.” The archdemon's amusement was a cold slide of malevolence.

Kim shivered. “That is one scary voice. I don't think I'd want to go mano a mano with that particular demonic entity.”

Donna forged onward, but she was looking a little uncertain. Even a vampire might think twice about taking on something that projected so much power and evil.

“Why did you call?” She was ready to wrap up this conversation.

“I'm issuing a challenge to all Vaughns. Come to Galveston, and I'll teach you the meaning of true power.” Again Brynn got a sense of sinister humor. “And since I'm a stand-up kind of guy, I've left two tokens of my affection in a Vaughn's room.”

“Affection?” Donna sounded a little breathless.

“Almost a warm and fuzzy feeling. I love to cause suffering, despair, and death.” Brief pause. “Forgive me. Thinking about how much I enjoy inflicting all three of those chokes me up. I live in hope that the legendary Vaughns will try to stop me.” Huge evil sigh. “So foolish. Because of course I'll grind them beneath my cloven hooves like so many roaches. No, not roaches. I have a fondness for roaches. Perhaps ladybugs? Anyway, I'm depending on the Vaughns to provide my entertainment, so of course I think of them with affection.”

“Tokens?” Donna had been reduced to one-word questions.

“Mmm. Something amusing along with a small temptation. Oh, and any Vaughn who joins me in making Galveston a cozy family getaway can expect similar . . . souvenirs. Until the next time, I am the One Whose Name Cannot Be Uttered.”

The call ended with a clap of thunder. Donna stared blankly into the silent audience.

“Pompous jerk. His name's probably Cecil. That's why he doesn't want anyone to utter it. I wouldn't either.” Eric's muttered comment sounded overloud in the quiet.

There were a few nervous giggles, and then everyone started talking at once.

Donna recovered and smiled at her audience. “Wow, we haven't gotten a call like that since last year when Taurin, the vampire, called in.” She was working hard to make the call just another in the many strange calls the show had received over the years. “If any listeners want to comment, we'll have open lines for another half hour right after the break.” As soon as she was off the air, Donna cast a desperate glance toward Eric and then turned to meet her producer's questions.

Eric rose to go to her, but before he could leave, Brynn grabbed his arm. “We'll have to take a look at the rooms of the three Vaughns who're here.”

Eric nodded and then went to speak with Donna. Brynn and Kim walked over to where Holgarth and Conall stood. Kim took Fo from her purse.

Fo sounded motivated. “I could tell by his voice that he was the lowest of the low, the baddest of the bad, the scummiest of the scummy, the—”

“We get the idea, Fo.” Kim pushed a strand of hair from her face, and Brynn wished he'd seen it first. Eyes narrowed, she frowned. “I can't believe he tried to bribe members of my family to turn traitor. And how could he get past the gargoyles?”

Brynn shrugged. “Beats me. I guess we'll just have to take a look and see. As far as the bribery, demons are manipulators. The divide and conquer technique might work if the ‘temptation' is big enough. Every man has his price.”

Holgarth was offended. “I guarantee, Ms. Vaughn, that the demon did
not
get past my gargoyles.” He sniffed. “The idea is preposterous.”

Eric's return forestalled any snarky reply by Kim. “I'm going to stay here with Donna. The call sort of shook her up. If you need me, give a shout.”

“Let's hit Lynsay's room first.” Kim looked worried.

Just before they reached her sister's room, Asima joined them.
“Eric told me what happened. Don't you think a mob of immortals plus a demon hunter is overkill? Kim can take care of any demons. Conall, you don't need to be here. What can you do with just a sword? I mean, if you destroy a demon by cutting off the host's head, there's going to be a really ticked off headless human. Oh, wait, you're not wearing your sword tonight. I think you should go back to your room now.”

Conall growled his anger at the suggestion he wasn't needed. “You're not my mother, cat. I'll do what I please.”

Holgarth twitched his lips, his equivalent of raucous laughter. “You worry about Conall too much, Asima. I've always wondered why.”

Asima whipped her tail from side to side and flattened her ears against her aristocratic head.
“He appreciates cats. I feel a responsibility to keep him safe.”

Conall looked embarrassed that a cat thought she could protect him better than he could protect himself. But he didn't get a chance to retort because they'd reached Lynsay's room. Holgarth used his master key, and they crowded into the room.

Nothing. Kim sighed her relief. “I guess she's still with Deimos. At least she won't get back to her room and find a nasty surprise.” No matter how relieved she looked, her voice said she wondered what Lynsay was doing with Deimos.

Brynn grinned. “Relax. He's showing her his action hero stuff. Maybe we should be worrying about Deimos instead.” Lynsay looked like she could eat Deimos for lunch.

Kim returned his smile. “You're probably right.”

They all trooped to Dirk's room. He answered Brynn's knock and assured them everything was okay. That left Kim's room.

Brynn stood beside her as she cautiously opened her door. She had Fo out, and the detector's purple eyes gleamed with anticipation. Holgarth, Conall, and Asima were behind them.

Something primitive and protective in Brynn demanded he go through the door first, so he slipped in front of her and flung the door wide. He'd braced himself to meet the charge of a dozen enraged demons, but nothing happened. The only thing that met him was a blast of loud music.

He could hear everyone crowding into the room behind him, but he was too focused on the bizarre scene in front of him to think about it.

“Howard Stern?” The amazement in Kim's voice said it for him, too.

The shock jock sprawled across her couch surrounded by four women who'd evidently lost most of their clothes, because they must've started out with more than they had on.

Howard looked up from the women long enough to grin and wave at them. Then he held up a glittering necklace for all to see. He swung it back and forth, a sparkling tease for the avaricious.

“Oooh, a pretty sparkly necklace, Kimmie. Can I have it after I zap the Howard Stern demon? Can I?” Fo would be the only fake cell phone with a diamond necklace wrapped around it.

“
Is
he a demon, Fo?” Kim's cold and calm voice signaled she'd morphed into her demon hunter persona.

Holgarth and Conall moved further into the room, one on each side of the couch. Asima stuck close to Conall.

“Um, I'm not sure.” Fo was in tiny-voice mode.

“Okay, is he human or nonhuman?” Kim sounded puzzled.

“I don't know.” Fo's voice was barely audible.

Kim looked worried. “Why don't you know? Are you malfunctioning?”

Conall moved a little closer to the couch. “Why hasn't he said anything? Howard Stern wouldn't go this long without running his mouth.”

Fo rolled her purple eyes up at Kim. “I'm functioning perfectly. But my sensors aren't sending any information for me to analyze.”

The strange Howard Stern image turned his gaze toward Conall. Asima moved in front and hissed at the shock jock.

“Time to rock and roll.” Kim raised Fo and pushed the red button.

The beam of light blinded Brynn for a moment, but when he could see again, Howard and the women were simply gone with no little piles of ash to mark their passing.

Brynn could almost feel the collective sigh of relief in the room. “Our archdemon has a warped sense of humor.”

Holgarth walked to the couch. “I told you the demon wouldn't get past my gargoyles. This was merely a clever projection. None of it was real.”

“I wouldn't celebrate too soon, Holgarth.” Kim joined him at the couch. “Howard left the archdemon's ‘little temptation' behind.” She reached between the cushions and pulled out the diamond necklace.

Asima leaped onto the couch and batted at the necklace with one slim paw.
“Diamonds suit me. They make an elegant statement.”

Fo's possessive growl said she had first dibs on the necklace.

Asima ignored Fo. Royalty didn't brawl with commoners.
“I fear your gargoyles failed you, Holgarth. If the archdemon left the necklace, then he breached your walls.”
She stared unblinkingly at the necklace, obviously a lot more interested in the diamonds than she was Holgarth's breached walls.

“Forget the necklace, Asima. You, too, Fo. If we keep it, the demon wins. It goes to charity.” Kim walked to her bureau and dropped the necklace into a drawer before returning to sink wearily onto the couch. “An archdemon can cloak his presence from the detectors, so I don't see why he couldn't fool the gargoyles.”

Conall made the obvious leap of logic. “So this archdemon could be in the castle, and we wouldn't have a clue.”

“Right.” Brynn was trying to think things through. “But his demon hordes can't get past the gargoyles. That's one good thing. On the downside, he could create havoc among the guests without any help from his minions.”

Kim yawned. “I'm too tired to come up with a plan tonight, but I'd say by the weekend we'd better have our act together. That'll give my family four days to gather from around the world. If the archdemon sees this as some kind of challenge, I'm hoping he won't attack until the Vaughns are all here. We'll have to find him and his portal before then if we want to have a prayer of winning the war.”

Conall turned to Brynn. He didn't look happy. “I hate to even suggest this, but we might consider closing down the castle if it looks like the guests are in danger. We'd have to use an excuse like electrical problems.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don't want to even think what the owner would say about that idea, especially during spring break.”

“As the owner's attorney, I would advise that it's better to lose money from canceled reservations than to pay it out in lawsuits if anyone is injured in the castle.” Holgarth compressed his lips into a thin line—his lawyer's face.

“That's what I love about you, Holgarth, always putting the public welfare before money. What a guy.” Kim sounded too tired to generate much enthusiasm for her sarcasm.

Brynn held up his hand. “Whoa, I don't think closing down the castle is the answer. We'll have to let the Vaughns stay here when they arrive, so that'll shoot down any excuse we make. Besides, guests are probably safer here than they'd be anywhere else on the island. The archdemon might do things to annoy us, but I don't think he'll start his war until the Vaughns are all here. He seemed pretty definite about his challenge.” He thought some more about what he'd said. “Besides, that old quote about keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer might have merit. If he's really in the castle, then he's in our world, and he's cut off from the other demons.”